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Rather than falling into the regular sports advertising trope of the burly sports star making a great play, the team at &Some* has instead opted for a fan-centric approach that doesn’t hold the promise of victory.

The idea behind the ‘game of hearts’ campaign comes to life most evidently in the print versions, which feature the faces and quotes of six different Vodafone Warriors fans—both male and female—of different ages.

Jasmyn Rixon, a senior account manager at &Some, says that objective of the campaign was to capture the voice and face of the fans with real emotion.

“[It’s] a move away from the flashy, over-staunch, ‘we will win’ feel of most team campaigns to a more heartfelt and true positioning,” she says. “It’s a fresh way to bring to life the Vodafone Warriors brand. It focuses on the fans, doesn’t over-promise, and it’s true.”

Given that the Vodafone Warriors didn’t have the best season last year, it was always going to be risky to rely on the truth to sell tickets. With this in mind, the creative team at &Some decided to incorporate elements of self-effacing humour into the campaign to push the idea that being a Vodafone Warriors fan might not always be a glamorous trophy-laden affair, but being in the stands always offers a good time.

To further concretise this idea, &Some also created a Vodafone ‘Warriors forever’ emblem, which Rixon explains was designed in a tattoo style that hints at permanence and commitment.

"We sat down with the Vodafone Warriors club and also the fans to find out what the brand means to them. We then went about designing an emblem that would give a true reflection of what they shared with us."

Rixon says that the six different billboards will remain on display throughout February and March, after which &Some will initiate game-specific campaigns for each of the 11 home fixtures for the season.

*Disclosure of interest: &Some and StopPress form part of the Image Centre group.

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